Upsetting of metal rods or bars



Jan. 17, 1950 M. o. HANNA 2,495,060

UPSETTING METAL RODS OR BARS Filed Dec. 11, 1948 III III

I I MW. JM-w. 4

patented Jan. 17, 195% UPSETTING F METAL nous ORBABS V Merrill Oliver Hanna, East'Malve'rn;

Victoria, Australia Application December 11, 1948, Sean-N nnies T In Australia December 18, 1947 v 1 This invention relates to the upsetting of metal rods or bars using electric resistance heating, and more particularly it refers to a method and apparatus by which the whole or substantially the whole length of the rod or bar can be upset into a'globular or like billet. Globular billets of this kindcan' be used in the manufacture of various articles, such as, for instance, spanner or wrench jaws or sockets, hammer heads and the like.

According to the invention, the rod to be upset is fed under pressure through a contact member into contact with a head contact and a heavy low voltage current passed through the portion of the rod between the head contact and the contact member to heat the metal of such portion to plastic state and cause it to be upset. The upsetting operation thus commenced is continued until the whole length of the rod has been upset into globular or like form, the tail end of the rod being in the final stages fed completely through the contact member.

The contact member preferably has a sleeve with an axial passage through which the rod is moved by a pusher rod and the diameter of such pusher rod is such that it can follow the rod through the contact member to feed the whole length of the rod to the heating and upsetting zone.

The invention is more fully described aided by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the preferred form of apparatus used in the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the rod nearly completely upset to form the globular billet.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar cross-section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The apparatus shown in these views comprises a head contact I, a pusher rod 2 and a contact member 3 through which the rod 4 to be upset is fed.

The contact member consists of a sleeve 5 mounted in a supporting member 6 and having an axial passage 1 through winch the rod 4 passes. The central portion of the sleeve 5 is half cut away where it receives a semi-circular shoe or cap 9 which is resiliently pressed onto the rod 4 to provide a good electrical contact.

Adjustable pressure is maintained on the shoe 9 by means of a hand screw 10 screwed through a yoke II. The ends 12 of the yoke are outturned and apertured to receive bolts l3 fitted to the support 6 and, between said ends l2 and the heads of the bolts, there are fitted coiled 4 Claims. (01.219-3) I springs l4 which supply the resilient pressure for The pusher'rod 2 is actuated by any approved meanssuch as the air'cylinder l5 and it is of the The head'contact 'l is preferably of the known receding headtype, i'.'e., it can recede against the resistance of a dashpot as I8 or the equivalent as the metal is upset. Its face may be somewhat concaved as indicated by 19.

The head I and the contact member 3 are connected by flexible conductors 20 to a source of a heavy low voltage current such as the secondary winding of a step-down transformer 2|.

In use, the rod 4 to be upset is placed or automatically fed into the guideway 11 of the bed "5 and then fed by the pusher rod 2 through the axial passage I of the sleeve 6 into contact with the head contact I. The shoe or cap 9 resiliently bears on the rod and forms electrical contact therewith so that the heavy low voltage current from the transformer passes through the portion of the rod between the head contact I and the contact member 3. The metal of said portion of the rod is thus heated to plastic state and under the pressure of the pusher rod 2 becomes upset into globular form as shown in Fig. 2.

The upsetting operation is continued until the whole length of the rod has been upset, the tail end portion of the rod being in the final stages fed completely through the sleeve 5 by the pusher rod 2 which, as previously mentioned, is of such diameter as will follow the rod through the sleeve. The billet so produced is globular or substantially globular in form and ordinarily will automatically drop out of the apparatus when the pusher rod 2 is retracted.

If the amount of metal to be upset is substantial, the receding type of head contact previously mentioned is used.

By means of the invention, globular and like billets of excellent character in regard to grain structure can be produced economically and expeditiously and it is also possible to feed the billets, while still hot, direct to a drop forging or like machine for final shaping to the articles to be produced.

What I claim is:

l. A method of manufacturing globular or like billets by upsetting metal rods or bars using electric resistance heating which consists in feed- 3 ing the rod under pressure through a contact member into contact with a head contact, passing a heavy low voltage current through the portion of the rod between the head contact and the contact member to heat the metal of such portion to plastic state and cause it to be upset, and continuing, the upsetting operation until the, whole length" of 'thezrod has-been upset intoi globular or like form, the tail end of the rod being in the final stages fed completely through: 10;

the contact member.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing globular or like billets by upsetting metal rodst or bars,

using electric resistance heating comprising a head contact, a contact member through which 15 the rod is passed into contact-withtli'ehead' contact, a pusher rod for moving the -rod; means" for passing a heavy low voltage current through a the portion of the rod between the head contact and the contact member tohheat the metal of 20 such portion to plastic state, and'm'eans apply? ingpressure on the pusher rodv to cause the plastic. metal. to be upset and the upsetting. operation continuedLuntil the. whole. length of the.

rod-has been upset intouglobular or like form,-,25'

follow therrod rthroughsthe contact member 30 4. .An. apparatus for manufacturing globular or like billetshbyupsetting: metal rods-orbars using electric resistance heating comprising a head contact, a contact member contact, a pusher rod for moving the rod, means for passing an electric current through the portion of the rod between the head contact and the contact member to heat the metal of such portion to plastic state,saidcontact member supporting the rod and-pusher rod, meansfor applying pressure on the pusher rod so as to move it along the contact member and actuate the rod against the head contact to cause the plastic metal to be upset andmeans to continue movement of the pusher rod alongthe entire length of the contact member so as to upset the whole length of the rod into substantially globular form while ejecting it -from the contact member.

MERRILL OLIVER HANNA.

REFERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in the fisl-e of? this .patent:

, UNITED -SIA'IIEIS PATENTS Number 7 Name Date 1,592,275- Guerne July 13,1926 1117-2444 Giacchino Aug. 5, 1930' 1;.994,744 Asbury Mar. 19,1935

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 37,778 France Nov". 18, 1930 

